On March 11th I had my final doctor’s appointment.  Everything went great, I had started to dilate and they said it shouldn’t be much longer! That was the best news I had heard in a long time, I still had two weeks till my due date, but I was more than ready for this experience to be over!  All day I had been feeling a strange feeling in my stomach (contractions) so I went back to the doctors that afternoon.  They determined I was experiencing Braxton hick’s contractions, which made me say “I have changed my mind!”

Around 8 p.m. I was so uncomfortable the “Braxton hick’s contractions” where getting worse and closer together.  I talked with the doctor on call and was told that I could come in and be checked, but they’d probably just send me home. Come midnight I couldn’t handle it any longer and my sister drove me to the hospital.  Turned out I was actually in early labor!

At about 4 a.m. on the 12th they sent me home with a sleeping pill to rest and get something to eat.  We stopped at McDonald’s then went straight home.  Honesty I didn’t think I was going to be able to rest, but the pill let me get some much needed sleep between contractions! Around 10 a.m. we were heading back to the hospital where I had to wait in the hall for a room to be cleaned up for twenty minutes or so.

The next thing I remember I was questioning why anyone had more than one child by free will.  It was not long after that I was asking for an epidural, which I couldn’t have because of my Multiple Sclerosis.  So I was forced to deal with the pain, which looking back wasn’t too bad, then again I was passing out between contractions so my memory isn’t so good!  Luckily I wasn’t in labor for too long I went from 6 centimeters to fully dilated in 20 minutes.  After pushing through just three contractions my son was born at 4 in the afternoon. 

Looking back on that experience causes so many feelings, many of which can’t be put into words.  All I know is that it was the best experience of my life, and I wouldn’t trade it for a single thing! Watching life through his eyes brings a new and exciting aspect to every day.